Wanted: Chef with boating experience to run new Echo Park Lake cafe

The city’s Recreation and Parks Department is poised to start looking for someone to operate a cafe at the newly renovated Echo Park Lake boathouse. But, in this case, the ideal candidate would need to be ready to run more than just a kitchen. He or she would need to be captain of a fleet of pedal boats. The department this afternoon will ask the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners permission to seek proposals to operate an Echo Park Pedal Boats and Cafe Concession in the 1,500-square foot boathouse, which was built 80-years ago. In addition to operating the cafe (sorry, no alcohol) and putting down a $35,00o deposit, the new boathouse concessionaire would have to provide at least five pedal boats, a Jon boat “to aid the patrons on the water and retrieve pedal boats” as well as certified lifeguards.

The pedal boats disappeared from the lake in July 2009 as a money-saving measure. The boathouse, which now sports a newly equipped, restaurant-ready kitchen as well as bronze-paint job, is expected to open after the $85 million clean up of Echo Park Lake is completed next year.

14 comments

The city expects at least $5,000/mo revenue with no alcohol sales and mandatory lifeguards??? They’ll get a concessionaire like the one at Malibu Pier who said “yeah fine”, never paid them a dime and sued them for millions of dollars of “improvements”.

I’m confused. “…. putting down a $35,00o deposit, the new boathouse concessionaire would have to provide at least five pedal boats, a Jon boat “to aid the patrons on the water and retrieve pedal boats” as well as certified lifeguards.”

The new chef has to play a 35K deposit AND provide 5 boats??? What kind of job is that? Does this need clarification?

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